wh40khomebrewfandomcom-20200215-history
Adamant Wardens
The Adamant Wardens are a Codex-''non compliant Space Marine Chapter in the 41st Millenium. They were created as a part of the 23rd Founding of Adeptus Astartes from uncertain lineage. The Adamant Wardens are siege masters and urban tacticians, specializing in the breaking of sieges and assaults on static fortifications and cities. Though a loyal Chapter, they have a reputation as being quite dour and secretive, much to the dismay of other Imperial organisations. History The chapter was originally founded asp a standing army force to be used for the protection of reaches near the Azuran Sector, made to break sieges and renegade fortifications that may reach into the Segmentum Pacificus. Their primogeniture is unknown to all of them, and it's a topic of great shame among their kin, this also contributes to their lone and aloof tendencies toward most other Space Marines and their less than traditional ancestor-worship. Founding (Early M38) The chapter was raised with an exceptional siege vehicle power in mind, with a number of dreadnought chassis and predators provided. Their creation is a subject of debate and most information of their founding was all but entirely unknown except to specific geneticists and Adeptus Astartes officials, even then it's a woefully low amount given the censure of their progeny since the start of their creation. The chapter after being gestated and founded from Terran stock were sent to occupy their new home of Brivatt Rebirth (110-403.M39) After a large war with the Iron Warriors and other grating campaigns, the chapter is crippled within an inch of it's life. All of it's detailed history before this event is near-destroyed in the cataclysm of war and their origins further clouded. Outrage was palpable in the spirit of surviving wardens and those who learned of the storied tale of the Treachery at Falchius which cast them into a conservative and weakened state. For nearly three whole centuries they were working to retrain astartes and grow, during this a number of enemies lapped at the blood of the crippled chapter but as it grew to greater strength it was sooner able to stand on it's own two feet, but just barely. Despite this the chapter lashed out against it's enemies on crusade, choosing to break what enemies it could. New Glory (400.M39-Present) In the past 3000 odd years, the Adamant Wardens haven't shied from any enemy. In seeking to prove the worth of their ways, they've been on near constant crusade with at least 200 Marines away at any given time with intermittent decades or centuries of peacetime. The Adamant Wardens would recieve considerable accolades going into M40 and would continue to hone their ways of war to a razor's edge. In the modern 41st Millennium, the Wardens are a chapter of practicality that is sought-after for their operational focus and cooperation. They've perfected many of their doctrines and actively polish their newer tactics to a brutal efficiency. Their turbulent past however has made them less than trusting in the old ways of Space Marines and they have been put under Ordo Astartes investigation for their Governmental powers, Possibly exceeding Strength, and new methods of mass muster. Still, they claim they defend their host culture like home and use the space to extend their reach. Notable Campaigns *'Treachery at Falchius (100-110.M39)' - The Adamant Wardens send their whole chapter strength to the planet of Falchius. A long 10-Year campaign ensued with Precepts being reduced to nearly one third of their original strength by a large Iron Warriors warband (The Stolid) who took over most of the world. The war was waged by the Iron Warriors, 5th Brigg Auxilia Dragoons and 28th Brigg Auxilia Infantry, Adamant Wardens, and Renegade Guard. The war was composed of many brutal sieges and assaults between the two siege specialists, grinding themselves against each other in a battle of grand attrition. Tank advances crushed each other, dreadnoughts grappled in competition over breaches, artillery shelled across the vast fields of what once was a loyal civilized world. It was a near stalemate, the Adamant Wardens only being saved by the noble Imperial Fists upon the reception of their distress signal and their proximity to terra. Even then the Wardens could do little more than a tactical withdrawal of their remaining forces after most of their number were dead, missing, or even fallen to heresy. The Lord Commander Virius swore vengeance upon the Iron Warriors and to this day they have a toxic and harsh rivalry with them alongside the Imperial Fists. The chapter has to hunker down for almost 300 years to recoup their losses via the use of the the newly interred Warden Ancient Vaal'kior's gene-stock *'Siege of Drakon (480.M40)' - Nearly 800 Wardens deploy upon the renegade world of Drakon, waging a war of re-occupation that would last 20 years. The reconquering was a slow grating siege campaign that was the quickest uprooting possible at the time. The Wardens deployed on a planetary scale, quick to bring forces from home. Over the course of 20 years of brutal urban warfare before a final push upon their main military bastion would seal the victory. It was the most difficult siege of the century and the chapter took a short time to rest and repose before any major campaigns. *'Gulman Pacification (526.M40)' - A Precept of Adamant Warden forces was conducting a failing Siege upon the Traitorous world of Gulman Secundus. With reinforcements weeks away they set out a distress signal, calling upon nearby chapters to aid them in their engagement. This took a hearty debate considering the chapter's innately aloof nature but eventually a force of Astral Leviathans arrived. They butted heads at first but begrudgingly gave operational command to the Leviathans under Commodus Harathiel, the Wardens still operating rather independently. Over the course of the engagement another chapter soon arrived, The Ordinators, quickly beginning to take the operation further into the Governor's Palace. It was soon revealed that the forces involved were not simply renegades, they were servants of Tzeentch. While this happened, an initiate of the Astral Leviathans ended up killing and eating a Warden in the heat of the battle. Legatus Pharseus held an offense at the Governor's palace, fighting alongside 1st Master-Captain Thrantis and Reclusiarch Errael. After a long fight that left even the Astartes beleaguered, they soon laid siege to the Throne Room, the Governor slain and Daemon Prince of Tzeentch in his place. A hard battle ensued, the Astral Leviathans and Ordinators successfully destroying the Daemon Prince and his coven at the cost of 56 Wardens, leaving one alone. The Lone Warden cursed Vengeance on the forces of Tzeentch, soon to become a Sergeant for his honor in battle. The previously mentioned Initiate of the Astral Leviathans caused a large fuss among all the forces involved, the inquisition getting involved and leading to a near outbreak of war and outright hostilities from the Leviathans toward Grey Knight forces. *'The Silent War for Freyy's World (992.M41)' - The Adamant Wardens deploy the 2nd and 5th Precepts to Freyy's World to provide relief efforts to forces besieged by the awakening tomb world. Due to the sheer number of Necrons they had encountered and a warp storm preventing reinforcement or resupply, the campaign soon became focused on guerilla operations from concealed bunkers upon tomb complexes. In eight years they would finish the Necron Dynasty REDACTED with the careful application of satchel charges in an in-and-out operation hosted by the famous Kill-Sergeant Ce'La. *'The Night of A Thousand Rebellions (999.M41)' - The entire chapter is spread across the Pacificus as distress calls and declarations of independence began to pile up in just months. The Wardens would do an emergency muster of marines that was speculated to reach 1800 and rally marines from their keeps to defend, the vast Adamant Wardens would proceed to waste no time sending every Precept they could to worlds in need. Forces went far outside just the Brivatt Subsector or the wider Tirior Sector, but extended help to extreme distances across the Segmentum, mustering for large engagements along the way, essentially being forced behave like a fleet-based chapter due to the sheer amount of distress calls from loyalist forces at the time. *'13th Black Crusade and Fall of Cadia (999.M41)' - Busied with the Night of A Thousand Rebellions, the Wardens are only able to spare a ramshackle Precept for the defense of Cadia. They were one of the latest evacuees aside from the Black Templars during the Fall of Cadia. *'The Cicatrix Maledictum Recontact (5.455.TCM)Cic. System - 005-8.M42 '- After struggles with the Night of A Thousand Rebellions begin to fall more into Adeptus Astartes control, the Wardens are able to send a 450 strong expedition unit to establish contact with far-flung Adamant Warden Societies and Garrisons past the Great Rift. This force has returned home multiple stranded marine garrisons and reconquered falling societal bastions. They have also found striding forces who've recruited in the absence of contact and have tested them for treachery. Along with this, at least half of all the bastions and small societies they had planted had perished, most with their gene-seed unable to be recovered. The engagements also see the first time Adamant Warden Primaris Marines are seen in great number. Chapter Homeworld Sitting within the Segmentum Pacificus, the world Brivatt (Aldrena V) lies around a Class G star named Aldrena; around a mass of 1.2 sol and 1.1 sol radii. Brivatt in and of itself is a green and grey mountainous cascadian world with vast green lowlands between and sweeping valleys. Brigg has considerable megafauna such as their Mountain Mo'se (Moose) and Baak'Tre (Ram) which are essentially more ruthless and large versions of ancient Terran life. Only a single continent has been allowed major urban development, the rest of the planet is actively preserved and its only civilization are military bases, bunkers, and fortresses. The chapter recruits from the strongest dynastic clans of the fortress-cities and the brightest of the tribal inhabitants. During peacetime, the bulk of the line chapter assembles on the homeworld and go on tours of recruitment and garrisoning between training and tradecraft time. Chapter Organisation Order of Battle The chapter follows a ''Codex-divergent Order of Battle, choosing to have larger and more independent formations, known as Precepts, at any given time as opposed to the standard company. Each Precept is akin to a double-strength company, consisting of roughly 200 men each plus fleet assets and motor pool. The Precept is run by a Master-Captain with 2 Line Captains running Line Companies beneath him, after this is either an Armour Century or Infantry Section lead by a Lieutenant. Most organisation within the Companies is very improvised and many ranks and posts are made to fill the Master-Captain's design though many of these informal posts are spread across the chapter. Headquarters Precepts Ranks Command *'Lord Commander' - Overall Chapter Commander and wielder of the legendary Thunderhammer Siegecrafter as a staff of office. *'Master-Captain' - Equivalent to a Captain or Force Commander, a Master-Captain coordinates an entire Precept of forces and all auxiliary elements therein. *'Castellan' - Title given to a brother under stewardship of a chapter garrison, often far from the chapter's home. They and their subordinates are not tallied in the chapter's numbers but are visited for their limited yield of recruits and their forward operations bases allowing for coordinations of engagements normally too far from Warden reach to be considered practical. The retinues of Castellans are not explicitly limited in size but they are not allowed active duty on crusade or pursuit outside their vigil until rotated into the Chapter's main fold, otherwise they are to stand vigil over a chapter keep or void station and repel any threat. Particularly elite Castellans are allowed watch over the chapter's remote Gene-Seed repository, meant as a sole haven in the event of chapter destroying circumstances. Castellans will often retain their titles when in service of a Precept but are often placed in the position of a Line or Battle Captain. *'Line Captain '- Also referred to as a Battle Captain. Overseer of a Line Company or Battle Company, they primarily work to lead in the field beneath the Master-Captain of a particular Precept. A Line Company or Battle Company is closer in function to a traditional Astartes Company and is similar in martial might. *'Lieutenant '- Primary leader of Infantry Sections or Armor Centuries beneath the Demi-Precepts/Line Companies that Line Captains see to. Specialty Ranks *'War Priest' - Title given to battlefield chaplains. They are made to tend to the spiritual health of their brothers through wisdom and monk practice and are disinterested in the majority in Emperor-worship. *'Engineer' - The designation for the chapter's many Techmarines. Novices under their tutelage go by the moniker of Junior Engineer and the Forgemaster goes by the title of Master Engineer. *'Shaman' - Designation for the chapter's Librarians, ranks typically prefix this title(Third-Shaman, Second-Shaman, First-Shaman, etc.) *'Surgeon' - The name of the chapter's apothecaries. The master of the apothecarion is named the Surgeon General. Novices are referred to as Junior Surgeons. *'Fleetmaster' - Appointed by a Master-Captain to act as a void leader in the Master-Captain's stead when he may be coordinating the engagement or leading on the field, his field authority is believed to be similar to a Line Captain outside of his voidfare duty but is never truly used. Mid Officer/Political Officer Titles A myriad of titles exist within the chapter and often vary from Precept to Precept at the force's need to fill certain strategic roles. As such, some are not listed here due to their sheer amount. Though some of the most universal ones are: *'Siege Officer' - Possibly the oldest and vaguest title in the Wardens, this legendary rank is an equivalent to a Force Commander whose authority is doled out as needed. *'Rear-Captain' - Like a version of the Line-Captain rank but often of a nature like a political second or extra council. This does have place and commanding roles in the Adamant Wardens Tacticum *'Chief Warden Officer' - Rank given to senior specialists often appointed at the top of a Precept, hazy authority but suspected to be near a Lieutenant or Siege Officer. Even fewer line personell reach this rank simply due to the post of the Lieutenant's existence. *'Artillery Master' - The command rank of a particular officer in command of a field battery of Whirlwinds, Deredeos, or Basilisks. *'Gun Officer' - An archaic title given to a commander of an Artillery Weapon or Subordinate to an Artillery Master. *'Warden Officer' - A rank given to various talented tank commanders and specialists who may be called to lead the Armor Sentries or 3rd/4th(Secondary) Infantry Sections(5 Squads) of any given Precept. Due to their field-oriented posting they generally have a lot of time to attend to auxiliary duties, often in command of small vessels and doing independent operations for the chapter and operating Kill-Teams when needed. *'Colour Warden (Colour Sergeant)' - A title commonly given to specialists who are assigned to holding a Precept (or Line Company)'s colors. *'Sword-Champion' - An alternate title for a champion who is a master of one of the chapter's precious relic power weapons *'Siege Champion' - The rank given to a particular Precept's champion. *'Field-Marshall' - A political officer's title often given as a reward to a Sergeant of great esteem, it serves basic auxiliary purposes in Adamant Warden doctrine. Terminator Ranks *'Errant-Sergeant' - Terminator Sergeant. Often the default rank for the 1st Sergeant of a particular Precept regardless of war panoply *'Errant-Corporal' *'Errant-Warden' Veteran Ranks *'Watch-Sergeant' - A Sergeant of particular esteem or Veterancy, often in command of a veteran squad. *'Watch-Corporal' *'Watch-Warden '- A veteran warden, often underneath a watch-sergeant. Watch-Wardens are allowed to undertake Recon duties within the chapter and participate in kill-team operations. Line Ranks *'Grenadier/Grenadier-Sergeant' - Common title given to brothers whom serve in Tactical Heavy Support or Devastator *'Warden-Sergeant' - The leader of a Squad or Support Team within the Wardens. Primary NCO rank. *'Warden-Corporal' *'Warden' *'Initiate' - The basic rank of a scout within the chapter. Often these functionaries are equipped with the same carapace armor but are not allowed reconnaissance duties and instead act as help on the front lines or replacements for understrength squads. Unique Troops *'Decimator Squad' - A namesake given to the few Heavy Support units esteemed enough to wield the chapter's dwindling pool of powerful energy weapons. Often armed solely with specialty weapons like the Plasma Cannon, Grav-Cannon, and rare Volkite Weapons. This is also a retroactive redesignation of Primaris Hellblasters. A Precept may only have one or two of these combat-squads(5 men) at any given time. *'Hephon Siege Terminators' - A name given to the Elite Terminators who wear Cataphractii warplate, often directly at the fore of breaches with traditional Assault Terminators protecting them. These men are veterans of untold battles and their relic Terminator suits are nearly as old as the chapter itself and it is a secret yet honored event when one is permitted to enter their warrior society. They all are equipped with the best weapons any ground troop in the chapter could hope to wield, all carry Cyclone Missile Launchers and Callous-Pattern Power Fists made to sunder fortifications underneath their crushing advance. Theyre also given experimental gunsmithing creations by the chapter forges to test in battle. *'Mace Centurions' - Veteran Centurion Warplate Pilots whom often work in concert with Hephon Terminators. These warriors always enter the field donned in their relic Centurion Armor unlike their less senior brethren in the Heavy Support specialty. These men are almost always completely bonded with their warplate, living within it as a new armored home or caring for it in the minimal time they spend disrobed. They're of a terrifying prowess, almost always able to crush the greatest fortifications at the Master-Captain's call. *'Raiders' - The Adamant Wardens would develop various Old Breed platforms for Primaris tech, and soon appropriated the Inceptor concept for their own means. These Raiders are Armored in impromptu Gravis with alterations and are armed with similar Assault Bolters but can be seen with close-combat weapons. They are usually folded into the Assault squad tally. Combat Doctrine The chapter's original copies of the holy Codex Astartes are all but gone, only abridged versions are stored for recordkeeping as the chapter had abandoned it early in their history. Instead, the chapter uses The Tarak Code, a tactical treatise that is constantly updated with every passing battle. It was originally a field notating book belonging to one the chapter's oldest Master-Captains, soon becoming a doctrine in it's own right. Many of the tactics are similar to the Codex but amended to function with the chapter's various idiosyncrasies. The Adamant Wardens often field their whole chapter, choosing to break their enemy apart with an overt show of force and steel will in the face of attrition. It is not uncommon however, for the chapter to deploy in isolated manners down to a single Line Company much like in more traditional chapters. The Wardens use heavy ordnance doctrines and fight with close quarters troops acting as distractions or hammer-like formation crushers. Every engagement involves Terminator Armor, and the majority of tactics have their veterans at the fore in Tactical Dreadnought Armor being flanked by various close-in squads. The chapter is not locked into their specialty of sieges and urban fighting, it indeed requires a degree of flexibility since the chapter often sticks around with forces for the whole war instead of disengaging to attack a separate operation every engagement. The chapter contains Recon, Fire Support, Hit and Run, along with Maneuver tactics for use on crusade working with others or being able to assault alone. The chapter shies away from no duty, for every task is to be done. Kill-Teams are often formed and disbanded according to operational needs and chapter marines will often probe defenses ahead of time in reconnaissance teams. Every base and need is met in one way or another. The chapter's Recon tactics are different from others, they do not send initiates to do this task as they view initiates as lacking the tact required to enact these missions. Instead, away teams will be formed of full brothers often wearing their whole Power Armor suites in camouflage using large anti-materiel sniper weapons or suppressed bolt weapons. Scouts are occasionally brought along as operational muscle and auxiliary recon. These teams will size defenses and kill isolated targets until the whole of the chapter's available weapons are brought to bear. Chapter Gene-Seed The Gene-Seed of the Adamant Wardens is highly stable though not pure, making recruitment easy with notably low rejection rates. Overall they differ from 60 to 75 percent of the original purestrain astartes genetic template but have followed a stable and unchanging path with only a 10 percent deviance from their specific genetic template. * Flaw I: Brutal Toughness '''- Via the Ossmodula, Biscopea, Larraman's Organ, Sus-An Membrane, and Haemastamen, this flaw is the most present and the various mutations within these organs lead to most Wardens bearing a noteworthy degree of toughness and ability to stand against debilitating wounds rivaling Primaris Marine. It is believed this flaw has been left untreated for too long to be reverted and all astartes in the chapter possess it. No efforts are made to treat this flaw. * '''Flaw II: Ke'Farr Carapace - Via the Ossmodula, Mucranoid, and Melanochrome, dermal scar tissue is often transformed into a bony scale-like set of plates (often called "patches" by common Adamant Wardens). This usually occurs on extreme wounds like burns and mass excisions or eviscerating wounds. Often it can develop without any prior stimulus. Efforts to treat are only made when this causes a threat to an Astartes' fighting ability such as when one starts to have calcified bruises. * Flaw III: Warden's Watch - Via the Catalepsean node, astartes often develop paranoia-like symptoms and heightened reaction times beyond conscious perception during paranoid episodes. This is often staked to an extreme when fighting alongside forces that are composed of other astartes, leading to the chapter's habit of fighting alone. The true natures of this flaw are unknown and medical treatment is impossible, efforts are made to temper this with standard mental exercise and meditation. * Flaw IV: Warden's Curse - This is an extremity of the paranoia symptoms found. If a Warden experiences enough paranoia or is in the right degree of paranoia inducing stress, they will enter a state similar to a panic attack. Luckily, fighting ability is often not impaired to a major degree but many describe the state as a nightmare. Within are visions described as 'Battlefields beyond the making of even chaos.' and 'Leering faces on every body upon a field of eternal war and darkness'. The risk of this state is amplified when using the catalepsean node's intended function to a point of continued wakefulness being impossible without symptoms after roughly 22 hours without rest. As such, common preventative measures are to take short 'Combat Naps' during inactivity and to cover for fellow men's watch on long deployments to allow sleep. Treatment is impossible by medical and psychiatric means, some psykers can dull effects for limited periods. Episodes typically last 10 minutes to 3 hours and cause lingering deep trauma and even a depressive state afterward. * Flaw V: Mountainous Growth - Due to the mutations responsible for Flaw I, Wardens will often grow larger than typical Astartes. This leads to unique tooling of power armor and is believed to have been an impetus for 'Wardens never having unmodified equipment' in early chapter histories. Due to this, in recent years many have adapted Mk X. Armor to their usage and caused many resultant changes in its design. Since this mutation is largely benign, no efforts have been made to treat. * Flaw VI: Brutal Strength - Due to the mutations involved in Flaws I and V along with the nature of Flaw V, Wardens typically demonstrate notably increased strength. Testing shows Primaris Marines still best Wardens but many Wardens can lift higher amounts than pure Astartes of similar specialty. No efforts are being made to treat this flaw. * Flaw VII: Betcher's Blight - The Betcher's Gland is explicitly defective. The acid is notably weaker and glands always are missing the muscles required to spit it offensively, leading it to being passively used for digesting difficult foods. This flaw has gone untreated for too long to be reverted by any means. Other flaws possess far lower influence on the Astartes are are closer to idiosyncrasies than defining traits or are under debate as to being gene-seed effects at all. Some attribute their grey eyes and slower reactions to gene-seed while others say different factors are in play. They also age considerably slower than normal marines, speculations believe some of their oldest could out-age Dante. Chapter Culture The Adamant Wardens hold a staunch belief in being Tradesmen, retaining humanity, and staying spiritually stable, your average Warden will be a very calm and reserved person who works on a trade in his free time. They do not venerate The Emperor as a god but honor his ideals moreso, believing in the application of reason and logic to every problem. Their 'worship' is reserved more for the chapter ancestors. The practice of craftsmanship is highly encouraged and instinctively rooted in the chapter, each brother's weapon often being modified to personal tastes. Their inward yet superstitiously paranoid persona translates directly into their treatment of other chapters, often they will be outwardly untrusting of just about any Imperial Organisation at first, with trust having to be earned overtime and even then their secrets are never divulged to any but the most loyal of allies. Theyre much friendlier with mortal forces however, they are still slow to trust fully. The chapter participates in extreme amounts of Ancestor Worship, in the absence of a Primarch they turn to the chapter's heroes and elders. Dreadnoughts are seen as great icons of faith and their eldest Dreadnought and often De Facto leader, Vaal'Kior, is the closest thing the chapter has to a Primarch The chapter also engages in Brivatt customs, cardinal among them being the admiration of mountains. Brivatt's peaks are the only safe refuges and best defenses on the world and many are born within them so it is highly common for Wardens to honor the old customs of meditation to the mountains and worship. Among these original Brivatti customs is the custom of Clan and Kin relations. Many old tribal dynasties exist upon the chapter's home and it is relatively common for brothers to come from various lineages, many of which purposefully cede many sons to the chapter for their favor. Many brothers have a shared bond with fellow clan-brothers, and sometimes ceremonies are held where clan-brothers can attend if the chapter is not on campaign. Rituals Deep in their sanctums, far behind closed doors, various ceremonies are brought on by the chapter's War Priests(Chaplains) in the form of esoteric rituals to the Ancestors alongside Mindsmiths. A ritual often given to newly appointed Master-Captains is The Forging wherein the triumphant is rid of his armor and chained before an altar to the chapter Ancestor by the forearms, these chains are ritually heated and are carved with rites of the chapter. This lasts for exactly 16 hours, sleep is not allowed, food is not allowed, any form of respite outside of meditation while the chains are re-heated is not allowed. This is a test of will, for only the strongest will be allowed to lead the chapter. At the very end of the ritual, he is unchained and told to stand upright. A brand with the chapter symbol upon it is applied to his back, if he strays away from it he is to fail the trial, but if he steels himself and stays against the brand he passes and is lauded as an honorary Master-Captain. A ritual given to new inheritors of Terminator Armour is the Rite of The Mason, wherein the Warden-Errant to-be is to cut himself twice on each limb with an anti-coagulant put into his blood to prevent his anatomy from compensating. He is then to slather all of his wounds in cement. After this process he does one final cut to his dominant hand and lets it drip into the tins of paint that will adorn his armor while reciting the Indomitable Litany. Once done with this, his armor is given a fresh coat of paint by him or a Engineer. At the very end of the process, he is to personally help the Engineer repair and assemble the armor for his ready use. Only then is he to don it and recite their signature Litany once more. One other form of ritual they do is a summit of prayer they hold every century in peacetime. They all will gather in the chapter's highest chapel under naught but candlelight, the room is gathered in a circle surrounding a statue of the Emperor and a great hero in Terminator Armor standing back-to-back. The brothers are to kneel in the room, Command personnel closest and line brothers farthest with places made for dreadnoughts to stand, believed for the dual purpose of keeping dreadnoughts pure in mind, the Reclusiarch leads dark chanting with the Chief Shaman done in arcane languages done by the diviners of their Homeworld. This induces a trancelike state of prayer where all the brothers chant the same, what is seen is not to be disclosed to anyone other than the Reclusiarch but often is never told. Some speculate it's visions of heresy, others believe they see the Emperor upon the empyrean himself, and many believe it's a simple meditative trance, a glorified hypnotherapy. The true nature of this ritual aside from honoring their Ancestors and the Emperor as of now is completely unknown. It's very common for brothers to adorn themselves with tattoos of various iconography. (Chains, The Chapter Insignia, Briggite Script, Gothic Script, Aquilas, War Tapestries.) They have curt yet brotherly nature among one another, they honor and respect their comrades on a deep personal level. In the battlefield they are cohesive and out for each other's interests but often will not mourn until after a particular engagement. When addressing others, their stoic tendencies go up to a maximum. They will speak in calm and measured sentences when addressing commanders or members of other chapters they do no know. Treatment of Serfs The way Wardens treat their serfs varies as they're often pooled in varying ways. They see their Serfs as both helpful and sometimes a burden. These Serfs seen as the most reliable form of human auxiliary they have though and are treated often fairly. Most serfs are also aided by initiates who are required to help with duties outside their training to help them identify a technical specialty, this includes: cooking, cleaning, technical work, nursing, cataloging, and aiding chaplains. As a result a lot of these initiate-serfs are seen as young-ins with yet to learn their purpose. Overall the chapter generally acknowledges the existence of average serfs with short and curt hellos and goodbyes of no particular note though some converse and others may even form relationships. Pastimes Outside of Drill and training, Wardens engage in various pastimes. Internally, most Adamant Wardens are a form of Warrior-Artisan and it's reflected directly by how they spend their time. Most brothers meditate and ponder over, or completely abolish, many thoughts and feelings they have over forms of philosophy, craftsmanship and whatever may form a brother's interests. The most common craft that Brothers do is writing just after gunsmithing, often writing forms of Philosophy tomes and tactical treatises. Aside from that, brothers will work closely with Engineers to modify their weapons and armor, pondering over the works of their plate with a skillful acumen and a will to learn. No two pieces of gear are the same as a direct result, each becoming a portion of a Warden's odyssey often leaving small marks or totems to honor the previous wearer or the next wearer. Officers often do far greater works, pondering over governance of their homeland with treatises of efficient governing and engineering of buildings. Cooperating with, or training as Engineers to further develop their acumen. Many of them publish books under pen-names for use on their homeworld and work for the betterment and prosperity of their home outside of thinking of new ways to work the great machine of war. The most common pastime for Officers and even some ground personnel is a game. A game involving tactical applications and war, this game is used for testing of tactics and strategies on many levels. The game uses painted and often hand-sculpted miniatures to represent various allies and enemies, it's a common pursuit to make one of these miniatures to use or get used by one's commander. Chance and tactics play near-equal parts in the game and the terrain of the map can be changed to fit the simulated situation. New formations are proven and tested here and it's a common way for Officers to bond and politic among themselves, much like how leaders of old would play archaic strategy games or table games to free time to talk. Chapter Societies The Adamant Wardens have a number of societies within their hierarchies of command, each of these societies is created on a charter from the chapter council and is allowed to change their liveries and meet privately. Each of these societies is removed from the standard number tally and counted as a unit of Officers run by one of their Societors. The Societies in the chapter encourage political debates in the chapter council and each have a certain number of men under arms who are allowed to take to the field, each is essentially a fighting sub-unit of veteran. Every individual society has unique traditions and characteristics relating to the main Adamant Warden way of life, but are kept on a strict leash by the main chapter council. As of 908.M41, a numerical limit has been imposed on the Low Societies (the dozens of weak minor societal entities that are represented but in no way endorsed by the chapter). The Mid and Chosen Societies enjoy more considerable freedom, being either directly endorsed or specifically chosen by the chapter council. Most small societies simply meet for ritual and revelry, the larger ones function somewhat as demi-chapters that can safely reach further than the main chapter. Notable Battle-Brothers *'Warden Ancient Dantio (Deceased)' - A venerable Ironclad Dreadnought honoured to the 1st Precept. One of numerous accolades from 400.M39 to 526.M40. He eventually died in the Gulman Pacification. *'Honored Ancient and Master-at-Arms Vaal'kior' - The oldest yet most active Dreadnought in the entire chapter, he has been serving since the chapter's earliest days in his Deredeo Chassis. He is the most experienced artillery master and ordnancer in the entire chapter and often acts in the Lord Commander's stead should they fall or be unavailable. Vaal'kior is currently the wisest and most learned on the chapter's origins, secrets that he only tells those he knows can be entrusted with such a boon. His reasons are often unknown for recommending various brothers for commendations and knowledge but it is one of the highest honors in the chapter to be put underneath his gaze. Currently, all of the Chapter is Descended from his Gene-Stock and he is seen as a great figure. Often, Wardens will call him Father or Elder and many battle cries have come to honor his name. *'Kill-Sergeant Ce'La' - Kill-Sergeant Ce'La is the leader of Kill Team Ce'La, the chapter's current best in reconnaissance and specialized operations. Originally he was one of the Sergeants of the 4th Precept but soon found a particular specialty along with his squad in operating outside of traditional command restrictions. Kill Team Ce'La at present is operating at full squad strength and suppressing various branches of resistance and pathfinding for wider Adamant Warden forces. Their most recent operation was on Vigilus covertly suppressing Xenos forces with aid of the Preceptor Society. *'Commander Je'So (Exiled)' - A Lord Commander deposed in the line of duty by the Chapter Council in 526.M40 *'Commander Stro'Vaz' - The current Commander of the Adamant Wardens, fighting first near late M40 and rising to power in mid-M41. He was a Hephon Siege Terminator Sergeant for a long period over the course of his career and soon came under scrutiny by the chapter's Inner Circles and Societies. After a review and a test of Stro'Vaz' will and trust by Honored Ancient Valkior himself, he was given his post. An unusually speedy promotion but his talent was palpable. Stro'Vaz is of hulking stature, a giant among Space Marines, his gargantuan size placing him an easy two heads taller than his juniors among the chapter. He has made sweeping reforms and changes in his time, with almost all being universally well-received by the chapter and societor councils *'Sword-Champion Tarr'Skan' - Sword-Champion Tarr'Skan or The Burned One is a chapter legend, he is one of the oldest marines in the chapter and he has been covered completely in Ke'Farr scarring. He does not wear a helmet, showing his bony scaled carapace like a death mask. He does not speak with other Wardens save a trusted few. He is also one of the The Watchers, Wardens who've undergone psychological deterioration from their gene-flaws. *'Hephon-Warden Grigori the Unkillable' - Most Injury rolls in the Wardens are far lengthier and extreme than other chapters but Grigori the Unkillable is a legend famed among the Adamant Wardens for his resilience. He has survived hive-quakes, direct hits from multiple Lascannons, and being run over by a Baneblade. He's nearly died 30 times and has had at least 60 emergency surgeries, and gone missing thought dead 23 times in his 670 years of service and still fights as well as he did when he first joined the society of Hephon Terminators. Chapter Fleet Battle Barges Active * Hel's Angel - The crown battle-barge and flagship of the chapter bearing the most modifications and retroactive void repairs bringing it's tonnage up higher than a normal battle-barge. It has been in the chapter since the founding. The High Fleetmaster and Chapter Commander run this vessel directly. * Brivatt's Pride - The secondary Battle-Barge of the chapter, used for secondary Battlegroups larger than just a single Precept. Strike-Cruisers Active * Babylonia - Flagship of the 2nd Precept * Grey Eagle - Flagship of the 3rd Precept * Bellator In Machina - Flagship of the 4th Precept * Great Expectations - Flagship of the 5th Precept * Tortoise - Assigned to the 1st Precept Fleet * Assured Destruction ''- Assigned to the 2nd Precept Fleet * ''Lancaster'' ' - Assigned to the 1st Precept Fleet * '''Abraham's Grace - Assigned to the 1st Precept Fleet * Vivian - Assigned to the 4th Precept Fleet * Castor - Assigned to the 5th Precept Fleet Destroyed or Retired *''Castellan Of Hate - Destroyed during the 1st Incursion of Brivatt *Cez'Vat's Revenge'' - Destroyed during the Orro Reconquering *''Taken Storm'' - A specialist cruiser loaned to the chapter by the Tirior Sector Navy, Destroyed in the Orro Reconquering Imperial Navy Vessels * Freedom of Truth - An Armageddon Battleship given as a gift after the Silent War for Freyy's World. Chapter Relics * Siegecrafter - A unique relic Thunder hammer said to have been in the chapter's armory since their founding. It doubles as a staff of office for the Lord Commander of the chapter. * Spear of the Lone Warden - A master-crafted Power Spear given to the sole survivor of the Palace Assault during the Gulman Pacification by Legatus Pharseus of the Ordinators. * Mors Invicta - A legendary Cataphractii Terminator Plate, often given to the "Master of the Hephonite" in reference to the owner having the greatest sway over, and being a member of, the Hephon Siege Terminators. * Bloodsport - A masterfully made chainsword in the chapter reliquary, often given to a Close Support Warden of particular esteem or even a Master-Captain who shows a great bias towards them. The blade is painted in black and yellow stripes and is said to cut like a powersword. * The Buzzsaw - A relic Autoboltgun that was wielded by a famous Sternguard Veteran in the chapter. The weapon got its name from the fact it was retooled to fire Full-Auto at utterly egregious speeds, making it like a carbine-sized Heavy Bolter. * ''Yantri's Bite ''- A master-crafted Bolter maintained originally by Watch-Warden Yantri who was serving in the 4th Precept Sternguard early in the chapter's history. Some say this legendary weapon was specifically blessed to end the suffering of chaos space marines. Chapter Technology Due to limitations and bias, the Adamant Wardens almost never use Energy Weapons or Bladed Weapons; the chapter has a sole Grav-Cannon and are well-under the normal standard for bladed power weapons with a similar amount of mauls and hammers in their place. They prefer to use various forms of kinetic weaponry, this has also caused near-widespread use and adaptation of the Bolt Rifle, Assault Bolter, Heavy Bolt Pistol, and Auto Bolt Rifle. They also have customized variants of weapons in use in their own chapter and steward forge world of Astraj: *'Brivatt Pattern Autobolt Pistol' - Like an Assault Bolter or Bolt Pistol but built with a high-capacity magazine and tooled to fire fully automatically. It uses standard 19.05mm Boltgun ammo and is commonly built for Master-Captains and other officers by the Engineers of the Chapter *'Godwyn-Brivatt Pattern Heavy Bolter' - This variant of Heavy Bolter often has a bayonet welded to it, it can be magazine fed(Battle Line) or backpack belt-fed(Heavy Support). It uses standard 25.4mm Heavy Boltgun ammo. *'Godwyn-Brivatt Pattern Exitus Stalker Bolter' - A sternguard veteran custom variant of Boltgun which has an extremely long barrel, comparable to a scout sniper rifle, it is used on the rare occasions that the chapter may be called to do reconnaissance. It is usually chambered in a specific cartridge known as .998 Long or 25.4mm Long. The weapon is also used in a light anti-tank role, and it has been described as highly addicting to shoot. *'Mk.IIb Cawl-Brivatt Pattern Bolt Rifle' - An adaptation of the Bolt Rifle and Bolt Autorifle fielded by the Adamant Wardens for use by non-Primaris implements, no real mechanical differences are known aside from personal modification. *'Godwyn-Brivatt Pattern Bolter/Bolt Carbine '- The chapter often custom manufactures or modifies bolters they come upon. Godwyn-Brivatt is a basic and ad-hoc classification of the many modified boltguns that Wardens end up creating. They commonly have more robust internals and are often much more noisy as a result, their bolters having an extremely metallic sound when cycling new rounds. Bayonets are extremely common. *'Brivatt-Pattern Autocannon' - Due to the ongoing energy weapon shortage within the chapter, along with various instances of poor luck with said weapons, the forge has cannibalized and reiterated the Autocannon design for the use in the hands of Astartes. It's compatible with varying ammunition and feeds, including Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot and Shaped Charge Krak rounds for use in an anti-tank role or anti heavy infantry role outside of using it's standard frag rounds. It is also capable of deployment on Terminator Armor via the use of a separate mounting system. *'Calor Pattern Gun Platform' - During an engagement, a number of Rhinos were needed to be used for artillery. Given the orders "Just get artillery trained here", Master Engineer Calor put two Earthshaker batteries on a Rhino chassis and replicated this on a number of vehicles including several damaged Razorbacks. This allowed the Wardens to win the engagement and the Calor is used at the fore of the chapter's long-range artillery. *'Brivatt-Pattern Reactive Armor' - The Chapter forges produce single-use reactive armor plating, made for use in engagements with less cover or when the enemy has large amounts of anti-tank weapons. The armoring is made in Power Armor and Vehicle configurations. The chapter also has a proportionately low number of dedicated Rhino Transports, often choosing to field Land Raiders or Razorbacks instead. They also have a notably high proportional number of Vindicators and Whirlwinds, and have acquired at least one Land Raider Ares along with multiple Land Raider Helios examples, likely due to their siege prowess. They also have three superheavy chassis, one fellblade and two reclaimed baneblades. Their energy weapon deficit is extreme and severe by the standards of almost every chapter. The largest quantity they have is the Plasma Gun though still a rarity and it's the only largely popular energy weapon they have aside from the Lascannon. Their untrusting tendencies don't help either as despite their value they're seen as unreliable compared to their much larger reserve of specialty kinetic weapons and explosives along with the occasional prototype las weapon. The chapter fields an extreme amount of Terminator and Centurion Armor due to the chapter's forges having an enduring mission of studying the machines and obtaining them. There's a rudimentary knowledge of how to construct Cataphractii Plate but it often requires cannibalization of multiple defunct suits. There's more clear knowledge on Tartaros and Indomitus and many of the suits are internally manufactured with aide from the forge world of Astraj. The Centurion Armor is often recovered and sometimes assembled from acquired parts. Many improvised modifications are made to Power Armor in the gruff field of siege, and a large portion of Wardens wear Mk8 Plate along with a large amount of Mk3 and Mk5. Mixed panoplies are extremely common and the only Wardens who wear matched armor customise it to be matched on purpose or were awarded the set. With the Ultima Founding however, Wardens have begun to incorporate the Mk10 Reiver and Intercessor armors into their own mechanical and armoring improvements, essentially creating a Mk5-like ad hoc mark of hybridized armor some Wardens jokingly refer to as "Mark 9". Chapter Appearance The Adamant Wardens dont wear their armor in the same way other chapters do. They often leave behind battle scars and paint tribal reminders of their culture on their armor. They dont treat their armor like a panoply, they treat it like a favored tool or totem and apply their own touches. They also prefer to carry ammunition and supplies on their person instead of having it delivered, making most of their marines bear a resemblance to the rugged panoplies of Reivers. In recent years they have also started reclaiming Mk10 for use in their own powered armor, using various parts for aesthetic effect and protection Chapter Colours The Adamant Wardens primarily wear tan coloured power armour with the exception of their armorials, whose insets are painted black with medium gray trim. A white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran) on the right armorial indicates a Wardens' (Battle-Brother) assigned combat role. A black roman numeral stenciled on the squad specialty symbol indicates squad assignment. A white roman numeral stenciled upon the left poleyn (knee guard) indicates Precept assignment. A tactical symbol is displayed on the backpack as of 002.M41. Occasionally a Warden may have a Rank or Line Company assignment marking on the front corner of their specialty pauldron Chapter Iconography The Adamant Wardens' Chapter iconography is a stylised white tower symbol shattered by a pair of crossed lightning bolts, centered upon a field of black. This icon symbolises the Chapter's forte as siege warfare specialists and the lightning references back to the Unification Wars of Terra and the Space Marine Legions of old whose stories inspire the chapter today. Relations Allies Ordinators The Adamant Wardens have had a largely good relationship with the Ordinators and see them as a valued ally even if it took a while for them to get on. Their stoicism matches the monk tempering of the Ordinators and in times of crisis their alliance along with the pact of Sword and Fire. Enemies Quotes Feel free to add your own! By the Adamant Wardens Feel free to add your own! About the Adamant Wardens Gallery Schemealt6.png|Standard Chapter Livery as of M42 Adamant Wardens 30K Hive World Camo.png|Chapter Standard Hive World/Urban Combat Livery Adamant Wardens 30K Night World Camo.png|Chapter Standard Night World Combat Livery Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Unknown Geneseed Category:23rd Founding